<p>hey guys,
I want to be working in the energy field in the future (windmills to be more specific) but in general anything in energy.</p>
<p>In a month ill be starting this technical program called building systems engineering technology, its a program focusing on energy systems for building upon other stuff. (i took this program for its interesting courses: principles of heat and fluids, energy conservation, applied mathematics, strength of materials, etc...) this is the site Building</a> Systems Engineering Technology | Cgep Vanier College</p>
<p>Now ive talked to my school adviser and after i graduate ill be able to get into a mechanical engineering or civil program at a university. (only those two) and i definitely want to go to uni later on.</p>
<p>First question, would you advise me to go this way given that my choices are narrowed?
Secondly, is mechanical engineering a good choice for my goal (maybe even working for the canadian government developing new energy efficient prototypes or something cool like that lol)</p>
<p>Don’t confuse “field” with “skill”. In college you study to develope skills. These skills are applicable to many fields.</p>
<p>I worked on both space and terrestrial energy projects. I was (now retired) a structural engineer. I worked on those projects with other engineers with skills in heat transfer, fluids, design, environmental engineering, manufacturing, and just about any other skill set you could think of. They are all needed.</p>
<p>Pick a skill area that you will do best in. When it comes time to find a job, then you pick a field to work in. Internships and school projects in your choosen field will help round out your education and give you a feel of what that field is really like.</p>
<p>thx hpuck35, you’re right but what i want to work on later on is designing alternative energy “machines”. like windmills as I’ve mentioned earlier. i guess mechanical engineers take care of that?</p>
<p>I was a lot like you coming in. I knew I wanted to be involved in energy - but that is a very broad statement to make. Energy is such a large field that you really need to narrow down what exactly it is your interested in. For example, electrical engineers most definitely deal with energy, but most things electrical engineers do I really have no interest in. Since you mentioned windmills you may like the mechanical side of things much more. You won’t know until you take a few classes and get a feel.</p>
<p>That is all well and good, but it doesn’t change what HPuck35 said or its validity. This can be approached from many, many angles. Any of these energy systems will require the design of their mechanical components, their electrical components, the materials that compose them, the manufacturing processes that create them, the software that runs them and so on and so forth. In other words, you just need to figure out which sorts of subsystems you wish to be involved in designing. Mechanical engineering is definitely an option that can get you there. It just isn’t the only option.</p>
<p>Could you please give me some examples? for instance a civil engineer might look after the structure aspect of the prototype like the right materiel to use… thanks</p>